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The championship series is going to a final seventh game following the Dodgers kept alive their title defense dreams alive on Friday with a 3–1 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, stunning a home audience that had come ready to celebrate the team's first title in over three decades.

Sixth Game Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

That key hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of becoming the first repeat championship winners since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Battle

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out six of the initial seven batters he confronted. He fanned 8 through three innings, tying a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up one run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third, scoring Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out two games with an side strain.

Relief Effort

From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. Rookie Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to start the frame. Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging base runners to hold at second and third base.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starting pitcher, came on in relief and induced a pop fly before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second to retire Barger, sealing the victory and giving Glasnow his first career save.

Next Up: Game 7

The best-of-seven now boils down to one game. Max Scherzer will start for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after doing so in the 2019 season with Washington. The veteran signed a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are expected to lean on their two-way star for a short outing.